Investigation into the dynamic response of steel box structures with foam-filled corner connections subjected to internal blast loading

Abstract

The vulnerability of the box structure under internal blast loading drives the innovative design of the corner connection. In present study, the box structures with novel foam-filled corner connections were designed, fabricated, and finally tested under internal blast loading. Parallelly, a three-dimensional model based on finite element method-smoothed particle hydrodynamics was proposed to investigate the deformation mechanism and energy absorption of the box structures. The results showed that the foam-filled corner connections had the potential to enhance the blast resistance of the box structures. Specifically, the bulkhead with a foam-filled inclined corner connection exhibited lower maximum displacement, which was 4.1 % smaller than that of the
triangular corner connection. The connection plates mainly experienced bending deformation, while the aluminum foam could support the deformation of the plates. The inclined corner connection also promoted earlier activation of membrane tension, thereby advancing the onset of the saturation effect in plastic deformation. Additionally, the triangular design absorbed approximately 20 % more energy but was more susceptible to fracture, with the critical TNT (Trinitrotoluene) charge being 61 % lower than that of the inclined connection. These findings demonstrate that the inclined foam-filled corner connection offers superior blast resistance, while the triangular connection is more conducive to higher energy dissipation but at the cost of reduced structural
integrity.

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ORCID for Yeping Xiong: orcid.org/0000-0002-0135-8464

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